Hawaiian declares death sentence for A330-800

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Honolulu - Honolulu-based carrier Hawaiian Airlines will cancel its order for six Airbus A330-800 and switch to Boeing 787-9. The airline was the only customer of the smaller version of the A330neo.

First, Hawaiian Airlines wanted to include the A350-800 in its fleet. In 2008, the American airline operator ordered six copies from the new long-haul aircraft which was in the development phase. But four years later the company changed its mind and converted its previous order to six A330-800.

Boeing has been reportedly lobbying to convince Hawaiian Airlines to cancel the carrier's existing order with the rival Airbus in favor of 787-9 Dreamliners.

Last fall, Hawaiian management announced that the company was in talks with Boeing for an alternative.

Now it seems that the talks ended in favor of the American manufacturer. Hawaiian Airlines drops A330-800. The carrier orders Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner instead. The quantity is not specified yet.The cancellation would leave Airbus without any orders for the A330-800.

The Dreamliner order would be the first for Hawaiian Airlines.

Airbus loses not only an excellent deal but also the only order for the A330-800 ever. So far, Airbus stated that they still keep in faith about the market potential of the aircraft. But it is hardly ever built to bring any competitive advantage in its market segment. The A330-800 offers very few advantages over the A330-900.

Even the A330-900 is not a blockbuster. Airbus has collected only 206 orders so far, although the manufacturer had expected about 1000 orders. The company positioned the A330neo as a cheaper alternative to the Boeing's Dreamliner family and a possible new mid-range aircraft (NMA), the 797.